By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, December 18 -- At the UN Children's Fund UNICEF on the evening of December 18, Inner City Press both learned both that outgoing Executive Director Anthony Lake is having his farewell party on December 19 and finalized its reporting on who have been the candidates to replace Lake, and who UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has selected as the winner, over the objection of some of his Under Secretaries General: Henrietta Fore.
As her name circulated in recent months, some pointed with concern to her presence on the boards of directors of ExxonMobil and General Mills, and compared her with other short listed candidates. Inner City Press now, prior to the public announcement of Guterres' selection if not process, exclusively reports on these candidates: former Mozambique Health Minister Francisco Songane, UN official Flavia Bustreo, and Canadian (Ontario) minister Eric Hoskins.
It has, it was pointed out to Inner City Press at UNICEF's December 18 event, which Guterres was driven in two cars one block from just across First Avenue to attend, been an American job. But, more than one UNICEF insider asked, this American? Guterres spoke including taking a swipe at media gaining market share with ideas he disagrees with (unlike Robert Fico of Slovakia, whom he met earlier in the day) and left, quickly followed by his unresponsive Under Secretary General for Global Communications Alison Smale, who has yet to explain why Inner City Press for its reporting is still restricted after 22 months, its long time office sitting empty after being assigned to no-show Egyptian state media Akhbar al Yom.
While Guterres rushed past Smale, sources tell Inner City Press that among those chiming in to Guterres about the UNICEF raise were Virginia Gamba and Mark Lowcock. We'll have more on this.
